Bridge-reenforcing means



R. z. BRAKE BRIDGE REE'NFORCING MEANS Filed Jn.4 19.

1923 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 17, 1923- R. Z. DRAKE BRIDGE REENFORCINGMEANS Filed Jan. 19 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 hurt xpm@ R. z. DRAKE BRIDGEREENFORCING MEANS July 17, 1923 Filed Jan. 19. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5vPrakej MW. am.,

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Patented .July l?, i923.

ROBERT Z. BRAKE, OF OIMAHA, NEBRASKA.

BRIDGE-REENFRCING- IVIENS.`

Application filed January 19, 1923. Serial No. 613,567.

To all whom t may Concern:

Beit known that ROBERT ZDRAKE, a citizen of the United States, residingat Omaha,'in the countyA of Douglas and Sbtate 5 of Nebraska,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridge-ReenforcingMeans, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its objects to provide means for reenforcingtruss span bridges, andto correct defects in their alignment, andincludes, for a single bridge, two girdersf-adapted to be supported attheir ends upon the same ground supports, such as bents, piers orabutments, which support the truss span, for use in sustainingvertically applied stresses or loads independently of truss span, butadaptedwhen depressed by a certain amount of weight or load, to be sup-2o ported by the truss span bridge, so that the latter will co-operatewith the girders in sustaining -an excessive or required load, saidgirders and posts of the truss span being provided with attachments bymeans of which the truss span may be adjustedand placed in perfectalignment.

In many instances it occurs that truss bridges which may have been inuse for a considerable time are found to be in-` and vtruss span of anold bridge may be utilized, said reenforcing` means being of suchconstruction and arrangement that 1t will co-operatev with the oldstructure for sustaining the required weight, and at,

comparatively, a moderate cost, the align'- nient attachment'operatingto dispose and maintain the reinforced bridge in symmetrical form truss.

With the foregoing objects in view the `invention presents a novel anduseful con and increasing the value of the struction, combination andarrangement of parts, as described herein and claimed, and asillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein,-

Fig. 1 is a view showing a part of the re- 60 inforced bridge inlongitudinal section and the remaining figures are enlarged detail viewsrelating to Fig. 1. Fig; 2 shows an U end portion of the reinforcedbridge in longitudinal section. F ig. 3 shows a side view 65 of alocking-plate of the aligning attachment, mounted on a reinforcinggirden Fig. l is a broken away view in transverse section, showing oneof the aligning attachments which connects a reinforcing girder with apost of a truss span. F ig. 5 is a side view of the parts shown n Fig.4. i Fig. 6 is a plan view of a locking-plate and part of a girder. Fig. 7 shows the ends of -a girder and truss span mounted on a groundsupport. p

Referring now t0 the drawing for a more particular description, theinvention is shown and described in connection with the truss 6 andground-supports or piers 30 7 of an old bridge, said parts beingutilized Vin connection with the reinforcement and aligning means nowprovided.

In the practice 0f the invention, the joists `and floor of an old trussbridgeare removed, 35i

one of the objects being to reduce the weight of the old bridge sincethe joists and Hoor formerly used will not be needed; then alignmentboX-frames 8 lare provided for connecting the posts y9 0f the old bridge90 span with the cross-beams 10, said vframes furnishing a suitablemounting for the ad- `justing or aligning-bolts 11. However, any

lidly connecting the posts 9 with the beams 10, and will have suchstrength that ,the weight, when applied to said beams will be sustainedby the truss span 6, and will provide a mounting for the bolts 12 uponwhich 105 i the stayrods 13 for the truss `.span are mounted, and willalso provide a stationary mounting for the horizontal aligning-bolts, asmentioned. `ln the present instance I haveV shown the box frame 8 toconsist of a `pair 110 of side plates a which provides amounting for thebolts 11 and12, said plateshaving.

flanges Z1 and being connectedand reinforced by means of brace-blocks c,the upper ends of the frames 8 being secured to the posts 9, and thelower ends of said frames being seated on the beams 10 and securedthereto by the inverted U-bolts ci which engage the bolts 12. V It willbe understood that if the endbraces-14 for the truss spanaresuitably-secured ,to the ground supports or piers at therespective-ends of a bridge, the function for the truss span insupporting a weight may be Vfully discharged, said weight beingappliedtothebeams 10, and the invention includesymeanswwhich, co-operatewith` lthe' truss` span-whereby a greater weight may r be supportedthan; formerly.

This is laccomplished by the usefof a pair of .girders'l and partsmounted thereon, saidgirders being disposedadjacent to the innersidesiofjthe boi; framesS and supported at theirfends by the piers orgroundsupports 7, spacingfplates 16 preferably be ing used at the endsof the rI-beams or girdersl 15 :and disposed between said girders andthecaps 17 of the piers, the thickness of said plateslG beingzsuchthatspaces fr will norlmallylbe maintained between the lower flanges of thegirders 15 and the upper flanges-of the beamsl Numerals 18 indicatevfloor-joists which arevdisposed transverselyof ythe girders-15 t"andnaresupported at their ends upon the strips ofcangle'ironlQwhich varesecuredto the girders, said floor joists also being secured to thegirders by means of angle plates jallel with the girders and parallelwith the linev of vehicle travel being a decided ad;

vantagelsincethe planks will present a more even surface-for the vehiclewheels, and

lwhen -thusydispofsed a lesser number 'of planlgsyobviously, will beexposed to wear.

It will alsobe'seen thatthe placing of the floor joists 18 transverselyof the girders 15 and securingthemy rigidly-to said girders atvshortmintervals, faddsimmeasurably to the v,carryingvalue of thegirdersbypreventing side-deflection and torsion usually'found inylonggirders under load` The present construction permits the girders tomove downward/freadily` lwhen, loaded beyond their fixedcapacity. v

It rwill-,thusbe seen that the girders "15 whichsupport the-floor 22 maysupport a load f of certain weight-without any stresses bei-ng L.directed to the old truss span. Howfeverwm operation,the lloadon thefloor 22 a locking-plate or block,` 23 each block 23 roadway of the oldtruss spanandy-the `greatly-to its valuefor-f-,usein aligningkthemfg.

may Vbe so great that thegirders, between their ends, maybe bentdownwardlyror ,defiected until the ylower flanges of saidgird-` ers areApressed upon the beams 10, sothat said beams, togetherwith the trussspan 6 70 will sustain stresses, and by the construction described,1the-old and new parts co-operate to great advantage; and by use of theinvention, oldgbridgesfmay be so reinforced that they may sustain anyrequired weight, at comparatively, a limited cost@ ,Y

Any suitable means maybe provided for;A maintaining they posts ;9, andbo'X frames-5,8m, .1 in vertical alignment'Vl andinin ::uni-fo r1nlyfg-1 spaced relation with the girdersgl aItldL-par 18 allel vwiththe webs of g said,` girdersgissafl; means, of course, p'ermittingnadepression; of the girders, the means shown hereincoOns; sisting of thethreaded,stationarygaligningf j Vbolts '11, each being adjustably!vmounted ngiwff" theA side plates-a by means of suitable; keepg-'i` `ersefand each being'providednwithia hea engaging in a vertical-channel AgIfor-medal;

being secured toagirderll and".beingpIO l. vided with a vertical V4slot.It openingffoV channel g for receivinga reduced:partrornv neck 7c of abolt,11theseipartsbeing of suchfis. proportions that expansion or:contraction of the girders'or other-metalliczparts-will$5 not preventor interfere withfoperation'; and it will be understood l that thegirdersgma move freely to a depressed-,positioninto-engi gagement with:the beamsqlO,when,sustainfaG4 ing a certain weight,-;Y o r may,I movetogtheirfloov normal position, thebolts 11 remaining st tionary withtheir,headsfyloosely engagin in the channels g, the resugltgbeingthat yposts 9 willl be maintained-in:avertical o sition, equidistant from thegirders, wliethf; 105e er the girdersare d epressedor at lnormaljpo-` e,sition.y

1t willA be `understood ,f that, asdeserti-bed, the .bolts 11A operateasA coupleing;-fmembers,,-l and since the websof thewgirderswillems-1102 main in ar verticalposition',they-keepers c, may be rotatedfor adjusting-the positionpsI4 of the box framesiS to;cause saidfra-rnesgand; posts 9 to move to a vertical positioni and tjoj be thusmaintained, Y

Since the joists `are disposedfatyshort yiii-p tervals transversely-'ofthe girders and sea`V cured thereto, as described, theseqpartsao erateas a unit-and` forma rigid-v,baser hev -width of which lisequaltothegwidth ofth rigid construction .mentioned-,- in; A oonneetioriY with the bolts 11 andtheirfgoperttion,addgm members of` the old trussspan.A s., 1253s WhileVin theydrawing, piers have;dieene1.-` shown forsupporting-the old-truss spaniand;,y4 reinforcing girders, it will ofcourse be un1;- derstood that they invention LVis operative in instanceswhere A other ground ifsupportsearepnaz employed, and in they claims,the piers, bents or abutments, tor convenience, are desigi nated asgroundfsupports-- While l have specifically shown and describedconstruction, it will be understood thatchanges may be made in size,form,

truss span and provided with a floor, said girders being normallydisposed above and adjacent to the cross-beams and engagingy said groundsupports and adapted to -be deflected downwardly into engagement withsaid cross-beams.

2. The combination with the ground sup-y ports and truss span or abridge, said truss span being provided with posts arranged in pairs atits opposed sides and having crossbeams extending between and connectedwith the posts of each pair, of girders connected with and adapted tohave vertical movcf ments independently of the truss span and providedwith a iloor, said girders be-` ing disposed above and normally`disengaged from the cross-beams with their ends on said ground supportsand adapted to be deflected between their ends for engaging saidcross-beams` K 3. The combination with the truss span of a bridge, saidtruss span being mounted on ground supports and having crossbeamsadapted `to and adapted tohave movements independently of said trussspan, joists disposed transversely oiand secured to the girders,

planks parallel with the girders and secured to said joists, saidgirders` being mounted on the ground supports and adapt` ed to supportan applied weight while dis-` posed above and adjacent `to thecrossbeams and adaptedto` be pressed downwardly upon the cross-beamswhen an additional weight is .applied thereto to `permit the crossbeamsto support said additional weight.y A v v e. The combination with theground supports and truss span of a bridge, said truss span includingposts arrangedin ,pairs at its opposed sides, oi' a: pluralityoiitranies` each extending below and secured to a post, cross-beamshaving their endssecuredmto the trames of the posts of each pair,girders provided with a iioor, said girders being diposed abo-ve andnormally disengaged from the cross-beams with their ends engaging saidground supports, and a plusupport an applied weight,iot a pair otgirders connected with rality` of bolts for coupling the `frames `withthe girders and for maintaining them in spaced relation and permittingthe girders to be pressed downwardly into engagement with thecross-beams. t

5. JThe combination with the ports and truss span ot a bridge, saidtruss span being provided at its sideswith posts arranged in pairsopposite to each other ground supand having cross-,beams connecting the`posts ot each pair, of a plurality of gird-V ers, joists disposedtransverselyof and secured to the girders, planks secured to the joistsand disposed parallelwith the girdn ers, said `girders being disposedabove in normal disengagement with the crossbeams@` with-their ends uponsaid ground supy ports, and a plurality of aligning-bolts connecting theposts with the girders tor maintaining them in spaced `relation andpermitting the girders to engage the crossbeams when said girders arepressed downwardly.

6. ln reentorcing means for a bridge, the u combination with a trussspan having its ends mounted on ground supports, ,said` truss spanincluding postsandbeing provided withj cross-beams` which extend -be-``tween and are: secured to the lower ends ot the'posts, `of a pair ofgirders above and normally disengaged from the `cross-beams and mountedat their ends upon said ground supports, iioor joists disposedtrans-lversely of and secured `to the girders, planks on the floorjoistsfhavingtheir upper sides disposed approximately in line roo withthe uppermost parts of `the girders,"

and elements connecting the posts with the girders `for maintaining themin spaced re? lation and permitting thev girders to engage thecross-beams when deflected by a suicient weight applied thereto. Y

7. The combination with the truss span of a bridge, said truss spanhaving its ends mounted `on ground` supports kand `provided ywithcross-beams adapted to resist stresses, of a pair of girders looselyconnectedwith rand adapted to haveverticalmovements inn dependently ofthe truss spany and provided with a ioor and mounted at their ends uponsaid ground supports, said girders being adapted to resist stressesdirected `thereto by a weight whiledisposedabove and disengaged from`the cross-beams and adapted to move `into engagement with thecross-beams `when additional stresses 4are,

directed thereto'to` permit said additional stresses to be resisted bysaid truss span.

ln'testimony` whereof, Ihave atiixed `my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ROBERT Z. DRAKE.

` "Witnesses:`

Hman A. S'riniens.` ARTHUR H. `S'ru'iiens.

